Giving Days are 24-hour online fundraising challenges that aim to rally groups of people to give to their favorite charity.

Idaho’s Giving Day is May 4th, 2017

NAMI Upper Valley, Idaho is participating in the Day of Giving. Any donations we receive help us to reach out and support the mentally ill and their families in our community. These are just a few of the ways that NAMI Upper Valley, Idaho use your donations for our non-profit organization:

Education: Twice a year Family to Family, a free, nationally developed course, is held in Idaho Falls and Blackfoot in the Spring and in Idaho Falls and Rexburg in the Fall. These classes meet twice a week for 6 weeks and are taught by members who have received training from the National NAMI.

Support: The Family Support Group, for those who have a family member suffering with a mental illness, is held on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday each month at 7:00 pm at the Development Workshop, 555 W. 25th Street in Idaho Falls.

The Connection Recovery Support Group, for those suffering with a mental illness, is help each Wednesday at 1:30 pm at the Center for Hope, 1501 Northgate Mile in Idaho Falls. There are vouchers available for travel to and from these support meetings.

Every summer NAMI Upper Valley, Idaho hosts a free picnic for those suffering from mental illness and their families. We provide a meal, games and entertainment for those attending. The money we receive helps us continue this wonderful tradition.

Advocacy: Advocacy by members helps national, state and local elected officials understand how legislation will impact people with mental illness. NAMI members are actively involved in the legislative process as they sit on a variety of committees influencing policy by informing legislators about research and development, improved treatment and rehabilitation services, access to treatment and reducing criminalization of those with mental illness.

Dr. Mary Beth Ostrom

NAMI Upper Valley Elections will be held on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at

Development Workshop-555 West 25th Street in Idaho Falls, ID

All NAMI Upper Valley Members are invited and encouraged to attend.

Ballots have been sent via email, please fill them out and return them, we want to hear from you.

We have a special speaker – Dr. Mary Beth Ostrom, MD

Dr. Ostrom is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist working at EIRMC’s Behavioral Health Center in Idaho Falls, ID. The Center is a psychiatric hospital providing mental health services to children, adolescents, and adults from across the region, including Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Dr. Ostrom is a member if the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology. She completed her Residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and attended Medical School at the University of Texas.

On May 19, 2016, Patrick Taylor, Alex Vassiliadis and Nate Perez (NAMI Champaign County Illinois) embarked on a cross country road tip in the famous and brilliant Chicken Car with the main purpose of raising awareness for mental illness. They will be holding separate events in the cities that they stop in. They will speak about their personal experiences with mental illness, pass out educational resources of their own, and allow people to purchase MIA Tour merchandise. The revenues earned from such merchandise will go directly to mental illness non-profits in the United States, the most prominent of which will be NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). You can go to their Facebook page: mentalillnesstour and view their video blogs, which document the amazing people and intense emotions felt throughout this life-changing trip. They also have a website: http://miatour.wix.com/miatour2016 They update their posts daily to share with their followers.

On Monday, June 27, 2016 at 7:00 pm the Group will be at the Idaho Cancer Center, 3245 Channing Way, Idaho Falls, Idaho. They want to meet as many people as they can, so are inviting everyone to come. They will talk about their experiences with mental illness. Through starting the conversation, they hope to diminish the stigma associated with mental health conditions, start a change in our community and hopefully change the way the United States looks at mental illness. Hope you will help us get the message out to the public.

NAMI wants to let others know that there is hope and understanding. We can change the way the world sees mental health.

Everyone knows a little about mental health issues but knowing the facts about mental illness can help you educate others and reject stigmatizing stereotypes. They are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing. Understanding mental health isn’t only about being able to identify symptoms and having a name for these conditions but dispelling many false ideas about mental health conditions as well. See more at: https://www.nami.org/stigmafree

1 in 5 Americans live with a mental health condition and each of them has their own story, path and journey that says more about them than their diagnosis. Whether you live with mental illness or are a friend, family member, caregiver or medical professional getting to know a person and treating them with kindness and empathy means far more than just knowing what they are going through.

Visit our Facebook page-NAMI East Idaho for updates during the month. Take the pledge to be StigmaFree.